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Letter to Ralph Nader from California Activists

This is the text of a letter sent to Ralph Nader by 47 California activists urging Nader to consider appearing on the Green Party of California's presidential primary ballot.

November 10, 1995

Ralph NaderP.O. Box 19367Washington, DC 20036

Dear Ralph Nader,

We, the undersigned members of the Green Party of California and of kindred groups throughout California, are writing to ask you to consider appearing on, the Green Party of California primary ballot in 1996 for nomination to the office of the Presidency of the United States.

Your long history of activism, your connection to various social movements, your widespread public visibility, your reputation for integrity, and your ability to speak to issues of democracy, citizen empowerment, social justice and corporate welfare and abuse all make you the right candidate for the green/progressive/populist movement as it reaches toward an important coalition at this significant moment in our nation's history.

Your opposition to running for President of the United States or any other public office is also well known. But conditions this year are exceptional, and warrant a reconsideration of your position.

If you run, your candidacy would respond to a growing public demand for an alternative electoral choice and for greater integrity in national politics. It would help catalyze a coalition for social change and facilitate the coming together of various social movements to become a coherent electoral force. It would provide the opportunity to present urgent policy choices to the nation that will otherwise not be heard. And it would significantly influence the country's political direction at a time when the nation is undergoing major political realignment.

Your appearance in the California primary would be an essential first step towards reaching these goals. Because winning California is so crucial for President Clinton, your appearance on the California primary ballot would in and of itself put enormous pressure on Clinton to veto various pieces of unacceptable legislation coming before him in the next several months, and perhaps make solid commitments regarding his next term on such issues as future judicial appointments. Not only would this be desirable in itself, but the leverage it would demonstrate would increase the political capital of your overall candidacy, should it develop into a national one.

Your candidacy could also become national. But we are not asking you to commit to running nationally at this time, nor to appear on California's 1996 General Election Ballot. Rather, the announcement of your appearance on the California primary election ballot will spur grassroots organizing around the country that will determine whether sufficient support exists to make your candidacy nationally viable.

As Greens and kindred activists, we recognize that your campaign will be most successful if it is a major coalition effort. We are eager for the Green Party to play an important role in building that coalition, beginning with providing its primary ballot line to test your candidacy, without further obligation on your part.

What is the next step? The Green Party of California has an internal process to determine candidates for its 1996 presidential primary. Its Coordinating Committee meets November 18th. If the Green Party determines that it wishes to place someone's name on its primary ballot, it must communicate this to the Secretary of State no later than November 27th. Therefore, time is of the essence. Ideally your decision would be announced later this week, when you visit California.

We hope that you will take this letter as evidence of the broad support your candidacy would receive from the Green movement in California. We also hope that as soon as possible, and in any event well before November 18th, you will communicate to the Green Party of California's Campaigns & Candidates Working Group, your willingness to allow your name to be placed on the Green Party of California's primary ballot, if the party's internal processes sufficiently demonstrate that the party's members desire that you do so.

Dona Spring, BerkeleyMember, Berkeley City Council 1992-presentMember, Green Party of California

Don White, Los AngelesCoordinating Committee, Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador/Los AngelesUnited Teachers of Los Angeles/National Education AssociationMember, Green Party of California

Melanie Williams, ArcataLecturer, Department of Political Science, Humboldt State UniversityMember, Humboldt County Commission on the Status of WomenMember, Green Party of California

We welcome all Californians who share the Green vision.Join us in creating a new politics.